Bridesmaid
Duties
As a Bridesmaid you have a strong supportive role you must play during the entire wedding
experience. Although the Maid of Honor may be there for the bride, your friend will also
need your comfort and opinions as well (in most cases). Below, bridesmaid101 lists some of
the top Bridesmaid's duties:

Pre-Wedding

If
the bride asks about helping her with ideas on where to have the wedding, help her with
scouting around and going to the different places. It may be a great idea to drive so she
can focus on each location.

If you have
great penmanship it is always nice to volunteer to address at least some the invitations
if the bride agrees. Many times a bride may outsource her invitations but if they need to
be addressed by the family, your help will be key in reducing the load of tasks to
complete.

Your
friend may need help in ordering and choosing decorations and favors, your opinions may be
helpful in making decisions for narrowing down choices and making sure the decorations are
in on time for the wedding, shower and bachelorette parties.

It is a major
treat to go with the bride when she is shopping for her wedding dress. She may even invite
you to be involved in picking out the Bridesmaid Dresses. It is very important to
help make sure the dresses are ordered and arrive in enough time for alterations!

Make
sure to pick up your bridesmaid dress in a "reasonable" amount of time in case
of additional fittings. Underneath your bridesmaid dress you might
consider
bridal lingerie to compliment the beauty of the dress.

Many times the
groom does not want to go to register with his bride-to-be. You can be very supportive by
going with your friend to register for her wedding gifts as well as letting other guests
know where the bride and groom are registered. This is a very fun experience so take part
in the choosing if she needs help.

Help
the bride in the seating arrangement. This can be a very difficult process with the more
people coming to the wedding. Many times it makes it easier to draw out the tables and
move people around until you have a close to perfect fit. Note: It is very helpful to
bring this drawing to the wedding just in case there are any mix-ups, you will save the
day!

Help Plan the Bridal Shower with the Maid of Honor as well as the Bachelorette Party! You should
also attend both the bridal shower and
bachelorette party as it is an honor for you to be there and hurtful
if you cannot attend unless you have good reason.

Be a
good communicator with information. Many times information prior to a wedding does not
reach everyone. Friends will appreciate confirming plans of each shower and party as well
as wedding day information.

Attend and help
out during the rehearsal dinner. Many times the bride, groom and their families are
pre-occupied and forget about things which is where you can save the day by being
supportive.

Wedding Day

Assist the bride in getting into her dress and
makeup

Ask if the
bride needs anything (food, water, etc) all the way up till the time she is walking down
the aisle. She will really appreciate it!

Assist
the other bridesmaids on where to go and timing, especially if they show up late.

Help make sure
the bride has privacy if she needs some quiet time before the ceremony.

Be
the witness in the signing of the marriage license which is an honor!

Assist the
guests to their seats and be social prior to the wedding. The guests love to see the
bridesmaids and groomsmen out and about.

Take
some deep breaths and walk slow when you walk down the aisle since it is common to speed
up. If a groomsman walks down the aisle with you, make him refrain from talking or fooling
around.

Always look for
the unexpected since it is common for the most uncommon things to happen (i.e, something
falling down at the alter). If you are close enough, fix what needs to be fixin so the
bride, groom and their families can focus on the ceremony.

If
you are single, make sure to mingle and have a great time at the party! It is mandatory to
catch the bridal bouquet :)

If you are with
your partner, make sure to dance and socialize since it means a lot to the bride and groom
(when they have time to sit down) to see their friends having and creating a good time for
themselves and the other guests.

Last,
but not least, Provide moral support and be a great listener throughout the process since
it is a very wonderful and "positively" stressful time for your friend. You can
really make the difference!

Make
sure to take lots of
pictures at
the reception, wedding procession and aftarwards. Many forget to take
pictures and
the bride and groom will appreciate them!